Microbial Insights: Unraveling the Future of East Palestine, Ohio

Microbial Insights: Unraveling the Future of East Palestine, Ohio

In early February of 2023, a catastrophic event unfolded in the small village of East Palestine, Ohio, leaving residents with a grim and uncertain future. The derailment of a freight train resulted in the release of over 100,000 gallons of vinyl chloride (VC) and butyl acrylate, two hazardous chemicals that posed a significant threat to the environment and public health. The decision to vent and burn these materials created contaminated water systems and a dark plume of smoke filled with dangerous combustion products  In response to this crisis, Microbial Insights, in collaboration with the University of Tennessee’s Loeffler lab, initiated a National Science Foundation funded Rapid Response Research (RAPID) project to investigate the situation and provide answers to the local community.

Taking Steps towards Long Term Answers

To comprehensively understand the extent of contamination and the potential for biodegradation, our team traveled to East Palestine in June 2023. We collected samples of drinking water, surface water, and sediment from 20 different locations in the affected area. Using cutting-edge Molecular Biological Tools (MBTs), we employed two key techniques to analyze the samples:

QuantArray®-Chlor: A hybrid technology combining DNA microarrays and qPCR, QuantArray®-Chlor enabled us to quantify over 20 different taxonomic and functional gene targets related to chlorinated solvent degradation. This provided us with the ability to quantify key microbial organisms and gene targets related to  contaminant biodegradation.

16S rRNA Sequencing: This technique allowed us to comprehensively assess the overall microbial community within each sample, delving down to the genus level to calculate the relative abundance of each organism. It was crucial in understanding the localized microbiomes and their response to contaminant impacts.

In addition to the baseline MBT analyses, the Loeffler lab at the University of Tennessee initiated microcosm studies using the collected sediment samples. These studies were categorized by sampling location:

• Anaerobic VC degradation
• Aerobic VC degradation
• Anaerobic butyl acrylate degradation
• Aerobic butyl acrylate degradation

We continued our efforts with additional sampling and analyses in November 2023 in order to trend the data over time, enhancing our understanding of the environment’s recovery process.

Results

Already, our extensive research efforts yielded several promising results that will hopefully offer a glimmer of hope for the East Palestine community:

Rapid Butyl Acrylate Degradation: The microcosm studies confirmed that indigenous microbial communities in sediment samples readily and rapidly degraded butyl acrylate, a significant win in the battle against this hazardous chemical.

Potential for VC Degradation: The QuantArray®-Chlor data demonstrated that the potential for VC destruction existed in 19 of the surface water and sediment samples. Abundance of key species, including Dehalococcoides and other halo respiring organisms, hinted at the microbial communities’ ability to degrade VC. This was further supported by our microcosm studies, which showcased efficient VC biodegradation in many sediment samples under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions.

This research is a portion of what is needed to begin to understand the degradation capacity of the system and therefore provide insights into the long-term environmental impacts affecting this small community.  Thanks to the National Science Foundation’s RAPID funding, we have made significant strides in understanding the capabilities of indigenous microorganisms in degrading the major contaminants released in early 2023.

Conclusion

The work performed by the Microbial Insights and University of Tennessee teams in East Palestine, Ohio exemplifies the value of Molecular Biological Tools as a secondary line of evidence. Our study has provided a deeper understanding of the complex subsurface environment, shedding light on the potential for biodegradation and offering a path towards long-term remediation.

While challenges still lie ahead, the residents of East Palestine can take comfort in the knowledge that their environment possesses the natural tools to combat contamination. With continued research and collective efforts, a brighter and cleaner future awaits this resilient community.

Contact info@microbe.com for more information or how we can help provide insightful data for your project.